ST. LOUIS — It was a perfect father-son moment.
Brett Hull had just finished playing for the St. Louis Blues in the 2017 Winter Classic alumni game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday at Busch Stadium, and he was sitting in the Cardinals clubhouse when his legendary father, Bobby, walked in.
“Hey, Dad,” Brett yelled across the room. “Come sit down. ”
Bobby Hull shuffled over, sat down and quickly began to hold court. It didn’t take long for Wayne Gretzky, Chris Pronger and Adam Oates to come over and shake hands with the former member of the Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers.
It also turned into the perfect opportunity for an impromptu Q&A with Brett and Bobby Hull.
ESPN.com: How do you think you would handle the NHL if you played in today’s game?
Brett Hull: In this shape? Terrible [laughs]. But if I was in game shape, it’s just hockey. If you’re good at all, you can play, right? So I think I’d be all right. Would I get 80 goals? Doubt it.
ESPN.com: What do you think of the young superstars in the league today?
Brett Hull: Oh, they’re fantastic. Fantastic. They are so fast and skilled. Like, I’ve been watching the World Juniors, and those guys on Team USA, they are so fast, so skilled. It’s unbelievable.
ESPN.com: You said there was a lot of chirping going on during the alumni game. What was the best trash line?
Brett Hull: Oh, there’s too many. There were one a shift, two a shift, and I think someone got yelled at for doing the mannequin challenge out there.
ESPN.com: How would you describe the rivalry between the Blackhawks and Blues?
Brett Hull: It’s a huge rivalry, but not between the alumni. We’re all friends now and appreciate the battles that we had with one another. Once you retire, [the animosity] is gone. With the [current] players, it’s real.
Bobby and Brett Hull. https://t.co/8QgqaekBCK pic.twitter.com/1IXgMsXoX4
— Joe McDonald (@ESPNJoeyMac) December 31, 2016
This is when Hull’s father walked over and sat down.
ESPN.com: Bobby, did you want to play in today’s game?
Bobby Hull: I would’ve liked to been able to, but time passes everyone. It’s a young man’s game. I’ll be 78 in two days, or three days, on Jan. 3. I’ll accept cards and letters. But where has the time gone? I remember the first 40 years of my life, but this last 40, I don’t know if I’ve accomplished anything. It would be nice to know if I have, I don’t know [laughs]. All I know is it’s still fun to watch hockey played the way it should be played.
ESPN.com: What do you think of the young stars in the NHL today?
Bobby Hull: I just met the Russian out here, No. 91 [ Vladimir Tarasenko of the Blues], and I said, ‘If Chicago had you or if you had the Bread Man [ Artemi Panarin ], it would be a pretty good team.’ No, it’s great. It’s great that good, young players are coming along like that to entertain you. That’s what we need. We need guys like these future Hall of Famers in the game today. Grab that biscuit, and do something with it. Entertain the people.
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Maple Leafs great Wendel Clark expounds on the joys of pond hockey and watching today’s fast game, whether the concussion protocol is working, and what it will mean for Toronto to win a Cup.
Why is it so fashionable to be down on the idea of outdoor games? The fans, players, sponsors and teams love them. And for those reasons, there should be more.
What is a backyard rink to you? To John Buccigross, it’s more than a sheet of cold, perfect ice. It’s also a place of possibility and wonder, of hot cocoa and cold wrist shots — and happiness.
ESPN.com: You said earlier that no one could score goals in as many ways as Brett, so what about Wayne Gretzky?
Bobby Hull: No. Wayne was a fabulous player to set them up; Brett would finish it off. My dad used to say when I’d get an assist, ‘Anyone can get an assist. It takes someone to score a goal.’
ESPN.com: What was the worst injury you ever played through?
Bobby Hull: I was never injured. Just feelings, mostly [laughs]. I had bruised feelings to think that Bugsy [Bryan] Watson [was] out there just to prevent me from entertaining the people. That bothered me. Then when I clubbed him in the head for 35 stitches, he said, ‘Bobby, I never thought that of you.’ I went right over to the Detroit bench, and [Gordie] Howe, [Alex] Delvecchio and all of them were sitting, and I went over, and I stuck my head over the boards, and I said, ‘The blood is on your hands.’ And that’s what bothered me: that I was not allowed to entertain the people. That’s what bothered me the most because I knew what I was out there for: to entertain. I always said I played for five reasons: To make a boyhood dream come true to play in the NHL, which I dreamed about all my life. To entertain you people royally, and I hope I did, and to work up a thirst so I could drink beer and chase girls — maybe not in that order.

Similarity rank: 0

Sentiment rank: 3.3

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INDIANAPOLIS — Donovan Mitchell usually gets a text from his sister, Jordan, before every game.
Saturday’s text before Louisville faced Indiana was different from the others. It filled his smartphone screen. And kept going, requiring Mitchell to scroll through what he described as “like a five-page essay. ”
The gist of the message went something like this:
“I don’t know where my brother is. He’s not there on the court. Go out there and kick butt. ”
Mitchell hadn’t recognized himself on the court lately, either. Louisville’s sophomore guard had been mired in a shooting and scoring slump, going just 16-for-54 from the floor in his previous five games. He was hesitant and unsure, passing up open jump shots for contested drives.
Those problems weren’t just limited to the games.
“If you saw me in practice, it was pretty bad,” Mitchell said. “Certain plays I was making, I looked like I was in middle school. ”
The situation had gotten so bad that coach Rick Pitino kept his most explosive player out of the starting lineup for the first time all season. When Mitchell finally returned to the court, he was a different person.
His best self.
Mitchell scored a career-high 25 points as the No. 6 Cardinals beat the No. 16 Hoosiers 77-62 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. He did it in an assortment of ways, finishing with four layups, a career-high four 3-pointers and six free throw attempts. He was so red-hot that Indiana at one point went to a box-and-one defense to try and stop him.
His sister’s text inspired him to play with more confidence. So did the message from the coach who benched him.
“I told him, ‘I need a star, someone who wants to play like a star,'” Pitino said. “I want him to have no fear of missing. If he’s 0-for-7, I want him to go 0-for-10. ”
Mitchell had a moment early on where he reverted to his earlier struggles. He passed up an open jumper, tried to penetrate and got blocked by Hoosiers center Thomas Bryant. Pitino immediately yelled, “What are you doing? ”
But that was a rare occurrence. Every time Indiana tried to make a run, Mitchell held the Hoosiers off, including an eight-point outburst after Louisville’s lead was cut to 50-44. Late in the game, Mitchell grabbed an offensive rebound, passed to a teammate and then smiled and clapped his hands. He even gave a backhanded low-five to a young fan on the sideline as play continued.
It was, you might say, a star move.
Louisville, which has the nation’s best defense, according to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, showed again how its length and discipline can smother opponents. Indiana bricked its way to 32 percent from the field and 4-for-21 on 3-pointers. The Hoosiers came into the day ranked No. 8 nationally in field goal percentage.
“I don’t see us shooting that way very often,” Indiana coach Tom Crean said. “Like, hardly ever. ”
Shooting — and the lack of a true go-to guy on offense — has been the chief concern for the Cardinals this season. That’s why Mitchell’s big day could have big ramifications.
“When he’s aggressive,” teammate Deng Adel said, “we’re good as a team. And we’re going to need that all season. ”
Coming off Louisville’s 61-53 home loss to Virginia on Wednesday, Pitino made more savvy adjustments to his lineup than just removing Mitchell. Anas Mahmoud got his first start of the season and responded with one of his best games. The 7-foot Egyptian junior had 10 points, three blocks and two steals in a career-high 34 minutes. He helped protect the rim and bothered Bryant, who was held to just two two-point field goals. Pitino’s staff also credited Mahmoud with 10 of the team’s 40 deflections.
Forward Jaylen Johnson , who also got benched for the first time this year, brought energy with his 13 points and seven rebounds. The Cardinals shot over 50 percent in both halves.
“We can’t play any better than this,” Pitino said.
Louisville has two of the best nonconference wins of the season, with this and the Kentucky victory 10 days ago. Those two opponents also happen to be geographic rivals, even though the Hoosiers and Cardinals meet infrequently. Come March, those victories should loom large. For the next 12 months, they will ensure that office water coolers and family reunions are safe spaces for Louisville fans.
This team could be playing for a long time in 2017 if Mitchell can match Saturday’s level of play and confidence. In his postgame news conference, Pitino slyly hinted that he instructed Mitchell to consult with someone outside of the program about his slump. Pitino then insisted to the media that he couldn’t reveal who that person was. But he added, “If he does talk to that guy, we’re very lucky. ”
Mitchell spilled the beans on the mystery figure.
“He asked me if I’m a spiritual person,” Mitchell said. “Then he told me, ‘Pray.'”
Divine intervention? That might be a stretch. Mitchell found enough of a boost from his own sibling, who watched the game from the stands and then waited to congratulate him outside the team bus.
“She kind of inspired me for this one,” he said. “[Her text] really hit home, and I went out there and just played for her. “

Similarity rank: 0

Sentiment rank: 3.6

© Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/116964/inspired-by-his-sister-donovan-mitchell-leads-louisville-to-big-win-over-indiana
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Cam Atkinson scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets stretched their winning streak to 15 games by stopping Minnesota’s 12-game run with a 4-2 victory over the Wild on Saturday night.
Never in NHL history had two teams taken winning streaks that long into a game, and Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets made sure their party would stretch into the new year. Bobrovsky made 29 saves, yielding two or fewer goals for the 10th time during the run, and defensemen Jack Johnson and Seth Jones each had goals assisted by Brandon Saad in a frenetic second period sparked by consecutive fights.
Jason Zucker reignited the arena with his breakaway flip past Bobrovsky just 24 seconds into the third period for the Wild after he raced past Jones, but that was as close as they came. Devan Dubnyk stopped 21 shots, surrendering four goals for the second straight game after allowing three or fewer in his first 27 turns.
Mikael Granlund had the first goal for the Wild, who also had a franchise record-tying eight-game home winning streak end.
CAPITALS 6, DEVILS 2
NEWARK, N. J. (AP) — T. J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin scored 33 seconds apart in the second period to power Washington to a victory and a split of a home-and-home series with New Jersey.
The Devils stunned the Capitals with a 2-1 shootout victory on Thursday in Washington.
This one was all Capitals, with six different players all hitting the net. Brett Connolly, Jay Beagle, Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson also scored as Washington snapped a two-game losing streak.
Backup goalie Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves, improving his record to 6-1-1. Grubauer saw action for the first time in six games as Braden Holtby rested.
Kyle Palmieri and Beau Bennett scored for the Devils, who have only two wins in their last 12 games (2-9-1). Keith Kinkaid stopped 20 and New Jersey wasted nine power plays.
PENGUINS 4, CANADIENS 3, OT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal 1:54 into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Montreal was whistled for too many men on the ice 1:10 into OT, and then Malkin scored his 16th of the season. Conor Sheary tied it with 55 seconds left in the third period by scoring his ninth goal of the season.
Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel also scored for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games. Pittsburgh won 12 of 15 games in December, finishing with 12 wins in a calendar month for the fourth time in team history and the second under coach Mike Sullivan.
Alexander Radulov, Paul Byron and Brian Flynn scored for the Canadiens, who have one win in their last five games. Montreal, on a season-high seven-game road trip, has seven wins in 17 road games this season.
Carey Price made 37 saves for Montreal.
ISLANDERS 6, JETS 2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — John Tavares and Ryan Strome each had a goal and an assist to help New York beat Winnipeg.
Nikolay Kulemin, Shane Prince, Anders Lee and Andrew Ladd also scored, Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson each had two assists, and Thomas Greiss made 32 saves. The Islanders have won four of their last five to get to.500 at 15-15-6.
Shawn Matthias scored a short-handed goal and Nikolaj Ehlers had a power-play tally for Winnipeg.
Connor Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 15 shots and was replaced by Michael Hutchinson with 5:47 left in the second period. Hutchinson made seven stops in relief.
LIGHTNING 3, HURRICANES 1
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brian Boyle and Jonathan Drouin scored first-period power-play goals, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves and Tampa Bay beat Carolina.
Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning, and Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman had two assists each.
Carolina got a goal from Sebastian Aho, and Cam Ward stopped 22 shots. The Hurricanes beat Chicago 3-2 on Friday night to extend their home point streak to 11 games (10-0-1). Carolina is 3-7-2 on the road over the same stretch.
BRUINS 3, SABRES 1
BOSTON (AP) — Patrice Bergeron and Tim Schaller scored second-period goals to help Boston beat Buffalo and complete a sweep of home-and-home games.
The victory also gave Boston a sweep of its four-game season series against the Sabres.
Frank Vatrano scored the other goal for Boston, which had lost five of its previous nine games but improved to 12-1-2 in the last 15 meetings against the Sabres. Tuukka Rask stopped 26 shots.
Former Boston University star and Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel scored for Buffalo. Robin Lehner made 25 saves.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 3.2

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Bo Scarbrough broke tackles, juked defenders and headed to the end zone.
Then No. 1 Alabama’s backup — yes, backup — tailback did it again. The 6-foot-2, 228-pound Scarbrough flashed power and moves on both his 18-yard touchdown run early and his 68-yarder in the fourth quarter that all but iced the Crimson Tide’s 24-7 victory over No. 4 Washington Saturday in the Peach Bowl and helped launch the team to another national championship game.
None of it surprised his teammates, who have seen it all in practice. Or ‘Bama fans who had long pegged the local Tuscaloosa product for stardom.
“I thought he was a monster,” Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson said. “I saw him make those runs against us in scrimmage since he got here so it wasn’t a surprise to me. ”
Scarbrough finished with 180 yards on 19 carries to continue a strong finish to a season that didn’t get started so well. Damien Harris has been the Tide starter and even freshman Josh Jacobs got more carries early in the season.
Scarbrough worked his way back up the rotation, though. He had a breakout, 91-yard performance in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Four weeks later, Scarbrough came back to the Georgia Dome and announced himself even more emphatically to the rest of the nation as another rising star for the Tide.
Scarbrough had an injury-plagued high school career in Tuscaloosa and arrived as a heralded five-star prospect in January 2015. That spring, he tore a knee ligament in a scrimmage and that cost him the first four games of his freshman season.
“Bo has always been a really hard worker, and he’s had some obstacles to overcome, mostly little injury type things that have plagued him a little bit,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “But never once did he put his head down. Never once did he get frustrated or discouraged. Just kept working. Every time you call on him, he’s ready to roll.
“And you guys know me. Whoever’s hot, that’s who’s going to get the ball and he’s been hot lately and he’s going to get the ball. ”
A couple of defenders had a shot at Scarbrough in the backfield on his long run, but he powered through both attempts, made a move to get away for another and then cut inside.
“My mind was blank,” Scarbrough said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, I just scored.’ Then when I looked back, I saw my whole team running down the field and I caught the chills because I saw they had my back and they believed that I could get the job done. ”
He’s pretty much proven that, now.
Scarbrough transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his senior year. Coach Chris Weinke told him he had to work on his blocking, and now Scarbrough feels like he’s got that down pretty well, too.
He has bigger ambitions now, both for the team and personally.
“I’m just trying to win a national championship,” he said. “That’s a team goal. And I want to be the best, most complete back in the country. “

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 1.9

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2:24 PM PST 12/31/2016
by
the Associated Press
President-elect Donald Trump ditched his press pool once again, traveling to play golf at one of his clubs without a pool of journalists on hand to ensure the public has knowledge of his whereabouts.
A member of Trump’s golf club in Jupiter, Florida, posted a photo on Twitter of Trump on the greens Saturday morning and said about 25 U. S. Secret Service agents accompanied the president-elect. Reporters had not been advised of the visit to the club.
Transition aide Stephanie Grisham confirmed that Trump had made a “last-minute trip” to Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, which is about a half-hour drive from his Mar-a-Lago estate, where Trump has been spending the holidays. He returned to the estate at midafternoon.
Grisham said that she and other aides weren’t aware of the trip and “appreciate everyone’s understanding. ”
“We are in the home stretch of this transition period and don’t anticipate any additional situations like this between now and inauguration,” she said in a statement. “We hope this one incident doesn’t negate all the progress we have made and look forward to continuing the great relationships we have built. ”
Trump, both as a candidate and during the transition, has often scoffed at tradition, such as allowing a group of reporters to follow him at all times to ensure the public knows where he is. Not long after his election, Trump went out to dinner with his family in Manhattan without informing the pool of his whereabouts.
The practice is meant to ensure that journalists are on hand to witness, on behalf of the public, the activities of the president or president-elect, rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
The White House also depends on having journalists nearby at all times to relay the president’s first comments on breaking news.
Trump aides appear to have made an effort in recent weeks to offer additional access, allowing reporters to camp out outside a doorway at Mar-a-Lago to document staff and Cabinet candidates’ arrivals and departures. Aides also are providing information about his meeting schedule.
Every president and president-elect in recent memory has traveled with a pool of journalists when leaving the White House grounds. News organizations take turns serving in the small group, paying their way and sharing the material collected in the pool with the larger press corps.

Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: 2.8

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The Latest on the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl semifinal (all times local):
8:32 p.m.
Clemson gets its rematch with Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Deshaun Watson accounted for 316 yards and three touchdowns, and the Tigers manhandled Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl Saturday night.
Clemson (13-1) overpowered the Buckeyes (11-2) all night, shutting them out for the first time since 1993, a span of 295 games.
The Tigers held Ohio State to 208 yards to earn a spot in the title game on Jan. 9 in Tampa Bay.
Alabama beat Clemson 45-40 in last year’s title game.
8:24 p.m.
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is done for the night.
Watson was replaced be Nick Schuessler with five minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Tigers leading 31-0.
Watson threw for 259 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-36 passing with two interceptions. He also ran for 57 yards and two TDs on 15 carries.
—
8:11 p.m.
SCORE ALERT: Clemson 31, Ohio State 0.
Wayne Gallman has scored on a 7-yard run, pushing Clemson’s lead to 31-0 in the fourth quarter.
Gallman scored two plays after Van Smith intercepted J. T. Barrett’s pass in the end zone and returned it 86 yards to Ohio State’s 14-yard line.
—
7:50 p.m.
Clemson is one quarter away from a rematch with Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Clemson leads Ohio State 24-0 heading into the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl.
The Tigers have a 365-111 advantage in total yards and have held the Buckeyes 25 yards rushing on 17 carries.
—
7:45 p.m.
It keeps getting worse for Ohio State.
Just when the Buckeyes finally started moving the ball — thanks to a pair of pass interference calls on Clemson — J. T. Barrett had a pass intercepted at Clemson’s 1-yard line.
Barrett threw a little high to Curtis Samuel and the ball caromed off his fingertips to Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersly, who returned it to the 19.
—
7:38 p.m.
SCORE ALERT: Clemson 24, Ohio State 0.
Clemson has taken a commanding 24-0 lead in the Fiesta Bowl after Deshaun Watson scored on a 7-yard run late in the third quarter, his second score of the night.
Ohio State is still struggling on offense, with 103 total yards. The last time the Buckeyes were shut out: 1993, against Michigan, a span of 295 games.
7:17 p.m.
Clemson kicker Greg Huegel has missed a 31-yard field goal after Ohio State nearly jumped offside.
Huegel, who made a 45-yard kick in the first quarter, pulled his kick left after several players on the field thought the play would be blown dead for offside. The Buckeyes were in the neutral zone, but appeared to get back in time.
The missed kick came after Clemson recovered a fumble by Mike Weber at Ohio State’s 41-yard line.
7:04 p.m.
The second half of the Fiesta Bowl is underway with Clemson leading Ohio State 17-0.
The Tigers have tied a team single-season record with 71 TDs with two in the Fiesta Bowl. Deshaun Watson is up to 110 for his career after a 1-yard run.
The Buckeyes are facing their largest deficit since trailing Michigan State 17-0 on Dec. 7, 2013.
6:58 p.m.
Clemson and Ohio State are among the teams that use signs with seemingly random images to send in signals from the sideline.
The Tigers’ boards include images of Bart Simpson, Elvis, Tupac Shakur, the Olympic rings and Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games. ”
The Buckeyes’ collection includes the Stay Pufft Marshmallow Man, a Gatorade bottle, the Nike logo and a basketball.
Clemson’s signs — and its team — had the advantage in the first half. The Tigers led 17-0.
6:41 p.m.
Clemson leads Ohio State 17-0 after a dominating performance in the first half of the Fiesta Bowl.
The Tigers have a 275-88 advantage in total yards and Deshaun Watson has thrown for 197 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Ohio State has rushed for nine yards on 10 carries and kicker Tyler Durbin missed a pair of 47-yard field goals.
The Buckeyes were held scoreless in a first half for the first time since 2011 against Michigan State, the season before Urban Meyer became their coach.
—
SCORE ALERT: Clemson 17, Ohio State 0.
C. J. Fuller has caught a 30-yard touchdown pass to put Clemson up 17-0 at the Fiesta Bowl just before halftime.
Fuller ran past Ohio State cornerback C. J. Saunders to get open, but had to adjust when Deshaun Watson’s pass was slightly underthrown. Fuller fought off Saunders and caught the ball falling down to give the Tigers a commanding lead.
—
6:14 p.m.
Deshaun Watson has thrown another interception, this one in the end zone.
Watson was trying to hit Hunter Renfrow on a deep pass against what appeared to be single coverage. Instead, Ohio State safety Malik Hooker closed quickly and appeared to come out of nowhere, snatching the ball from Renfrow just before falling out of bounds.
—
5:51 p.m.
Clemson leads Ohio State 10-0 after one quarter of the Fiesta Bowl.
The Tigers have a 113-47 advantage in total yards and the Buckeyes face a fourth down near midfield to start the second quarter.
—
5:45 p.m.
SCORE ALERT: Clemson 10, Ohio State 0
Deshaun Watson has scored on a 1-yard run to put Clemson up 10-0.
The score capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive that included a spectacular catch by Mike Williams over a defensive back.
—
5:39 p.m.
Ohio State’s Tyler Durbin now has two missed 47-yard field goals — one on each side.
Durbin missed his first one wide right, then hooked the second one to the left.
Clemson leads 3-0 in the first quarter.
—
5:32 p.m.
Ohio State freshman right guard Michael Jordan has returned to the field in the Fiesta Bowl.
Jordan was injured in the Buckeyes’ second drive and limped off favoring his right leg. He had his ankle taped on the sideline and was back out for Ohio State’s next series.
5:27 p.m.
SCORE ALERT: Clemson 3, Ohio State 0
Clemson’s Greg Huegel has kicked a 45-yard field goal for the first points of the Fiesta Bowl. Receiver Mike Williams helped set up the kick with a 37-yard reception over the middle.
—
5:22 p.m.
Ohio State senior kicker Tyler Durbin has missed a 47-yard field goal.
The Buckeyes had the ball at Clemson’s 33-yard line after an interception, but went backward on its drive. Durbin, who made 17 of 20 field goals during the regular season, pushed his kick wide right.
—
5:14 p.m.
Deshaun Watson’s first pass has been intercepted by Ohio State.
Watson threw into coverage on Clemson’s second play from scrimmage and Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley came down with it at Clemson’s 33-yard line.
Ohio State freshman left guard Michael Jordan was injured on Ohio State’s first play after the interception and needed help to the sideline, barely putting any pressure on his right leg.
—
5:08 p.m.
Clemson has won the coin toss at the Fiesta Bowl and deferred to Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will send out J. T. Barrett on the Buckeyes offense against Clemson’s stingy defense to start the game.
—
5 p.m.
Ohio State fans traveled in big numbers for the Fiesta Bowl.
Red-clad Buckeyes fans filled close to three-quarters of University of Phoenix Stadium just before kickoff, leaving about eight sections of Clemson orange.
—
4:30 p.m.
Clemson and Ohio State are back where their seasons ended a year ago, hoping to earn a chance to play another game.
The Tigers last played at University of Phoenix Stadium in the College Football Playoff championship game, losing 45-40 to Alabama.
The Buckeyes fell just short of the playoff final four and earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, where they rolled to a 45-28 victory over Notre Dame.
The winner Saturday night earns a trip to Tampa Bay for the national championship game against top-ranked Alabama on Jan. 9.

Similarity rank: 5.2

Sentiment rank: 0

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